I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 74

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Natan was furious. Where on earth did they go?! The foreign couple had disappeared. Damn it, they promised to participate in the ritual! The couple that had stirred up so much excitement throughout the village had vanished without a trace. Rage boiled inside him. He should have dragged them here by force earlier. He had been fooled by that woman’s words.

 

Where else would we ever find a man and a woman who are attractive!

 

The goddess had said that the better the bloodline, the more widely its seed should be spread. And that couple was exceptional in appearance. No matter what, he had wanted to use them as breeding stock. It was deeply regrettable, but what was done was done.

 

“Everyone.”

 

Natan raised his hand. At once, every villager in the square turned toward him.

 

“With this, our month-long sacred ritual has come to an end. You all worked hard. Though unfortunately, the guests we wished to invite have disappeared.”

 

At those words, disappointed sighs rose from all around.

 

“So, they ran away, huh.”

 

“Seriously. Such a pity.”

 

“Ah, Lord Carl was so handsome.”

 

“I know, right? I doubt I’ll meet a man that handsome again. It’s a shame.”

 

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget that woman either.”

 

Natan himself nodded with lingering regret. Still, whether they had left or not, there remained work to do.

 

“Now then, in honor of the final day of the ritual, it is time to offer a sacrifice to the Goddess!”

 

At his gesture, the village men dragged a young girl forward.

 

“Please save me, huuuung.”

 

The girl burst into terrified sobs.

 

“Save me, save me, I don’t want to die. Huuaaang!”

 

The villagers laughed as they watched the girl.

 

“Don’t cry, little one! The Moon Goddess shall accept you!”

 

“Offer her as a sacrifice to Goddess!”

 

“A sacrifice!”

 

“Waaaa!”

 

“To the Moon Goddess, eternal glory!”

 

“Waaaaaah!”

 

They began to tie the girl to the stake set up in the center.

 

“Chief, shall we begin the burning now?”

 

At Natty’s question, Natan gave a small nod. Just as he was about to order, Boom—! The ground shook with a loud noise. At the deafening explosion, he and all the villagers screamed in shock.

 

“Kyaa!”

 

“W-What is that?! What’s that sound?”

 

And then they saw it. Far away, red smoke was rising like a mushroom cloud. Something was engulfed in flames, burning fiercely.

 

“Fire!”

 

“T-There’s a fire!”

 

Natan frowned deeply. That location… The grain storage! In that instant, realization struck him. He roared furiously. “What are you all standing for! Hurry to the grain storage and put out the fire!”

 

At his command, the villagers immediately sprang into action.

 

“Everyone, bring water to put it out! Hurry! Hurry!”

 

Even amidst the chaos, Natan’s mind spun rapidly. Why had a fire suddenly broken out? Every villager except infants was gathered here right now. And was that merely a normal fire? There had definitely been a boom, like a bomb exploding… Ah.

 

“Someone did this on purpose!” Natan shouted loudly. “Catch the culprit! It may have been that foreign couple!”

 

Yes, it had to be them. There was no one else who would do something like this! But why? Why would they do such a thing? And at this exact critical moment, when we were about to offer the sacrifice! Ah! I see now! They were trying to stop this!

 

Natan’s eyes flashed. “You there! Stay behind!” He called out to about fifteen men who had been heading toward the grain storage. “We will proceed with the sacrifice as planned!” He had no intention of dancing in the palm of some foreigner’s hands.

 

How dare they interfere with this precious moment of offering a sacrifice to the Goddess?

 

He would never comply easily. Once he caught them, he would make them pay.

 

Huh? Just that moment, Natan heard the furious clatter of galloping horses.

 

“Chief!”

 

“The carriage!”

 

“Someone stole the carriage!”

 

In the distance, a carriage raced across the alleyways. The village’s one and only precious carriage. And sitting in the driver’s seat was a man with platinum-blond hair. It’s Carl!

 

A bolt of realization struck Natan. As he had expected, it was the foreign couple’s doing. They had diverted everyone’s attention toward the grain storage and were escaping by the carriage. Those insolent b*stards. Did they think I’d let them get away?!

 

“Bring the horses! Everyone remaining, pursue the carriage! And once we catch them, we’ll offer them as sacrifices together!”

 

Natan immediately mounted the horse brought to him by one of the men and spurred it forward at full speed. Excitement surged inside him. It was a good thing. After all, he had already been regretting losing them.

 

I must spread their seeds before they’re used in the sacrifice ritual! After all, beauty was an advantage in this era. Such a lineage was too precious to be used merely as a sacrifice. He would make them spread as much seed as possible, and make as many women as possible bear it. It didn’t matter that the month of rituals was already ending.

 

Dreaming of that glorious future, Natan continued riding hard. Before long, he had nearly caught up to the carriage. “Stop, Carl!” Shouting, he drove his horse even faster. “If you stop now, at least your life will—”

 

Huh? Natan’s tongue froze stiff. Just moments ago, he had definitely seen Carl sitting in the driver’s seat. What? Had I seen an illusion?

 

The driver’s seat was empty. Completely empty. Unless someone had jumped out of the moving carriage midway, it was impossible. No, that is impossible! Jumping off at this speed would mean instant death! Then where had he gone?

 

“Stop!”

 

Just then, the village men blocked the carriage’s path, forcing it to halt abruptly. They hurriedly flung open the carriage door, but—

 

“…!”

 

There was no one inside.

 

Natan stared blankly into the empty carriage. No one. Really no one at all…

 

“T-There’s nobody here.”

 

I can see that too! Instead of saying that aloud, Natan quickly turned his horse around. A dreadful suspicion washed over him. Don’t tell me, those b*stards! He drove his horse with all his strength back toward the square, but…

 

“Aah.”

 

At the execution stake they had painstakingly prepared, the sacrificial girl was gone.

 

Natan let out a hollow breath as he dismounted. Gone. She was nowhere to be found. The ropes they had tightly bound her with had been cleanly cut.

 

“Damn it!”

 

Those b*stards had used a diversionary tactic to split their forces and rescue the girl!

 

“Those damn b*stards!”

 

Fury exploded through him. Enraged, he kicked the execution stake with all his strength. Then, thud! The stake toppled over.

 

“…Huh?”

 

What is this?

 

At the end of a sizzling, burning fuse, something had been tied behind the execution stake.

 

“Chief! Are you alright?”

 

“Is the sacrifice gone?”

 

The men finally came galloping back on horseback. Then they all stared together at the object tied behind the stake. That was…

 

Why is gunpowder tied here…? It should have been in the armory. Don’t tell me those b*stards—

 

Kabooom!

 

That was the last thought Natan ever had. With a blinding flash that seemed to split the world apart, his body exploded.